| Jets |
over |
Bills |
The Bills are locked into the No. 5 seed for the AFC playoffs and likely headed to Houston to play the Texans in the wild-card round, so the Jets should get a break as Buffalo rests its key starters ahead of the postseason. However, New York has been playing well enough of late that its upsetting Buffalo at full strength would not be a stunner. |
| Bengals |
over |
Browns |
Cleveland seems kind of lifeless right now. And while the Bengals have secured their draft position next year, they are still playing like they want to win games. |
| Packers |
over |
Lions |
Lots of eyes on this game. A win here gives the Packers a bye in the playoffs, while a loss has them as the #3 seed. I don't expect Detroit to put up much of a fight, but you never know. |
| Chiefs |
over |
Chargers |
Chiefs won't be resting their starters this week. They're in the same scenario, where a win here plus a little help could get them a playoff bye. The late-season rise of Kansas City's defense combined with the continued scoring prowess of its offense will be too much for Los Angeles to overcome. |
| Bears |
over |
Vikings |
Minnesota's pretty much locked in to a date in either Green Bay, Seattle, or New Orleans for the Wild Card, so I don't see them playing a lot of their starters this week. Chicago will want to save some face for its lost season, so the Bears will get it done. |
| Patriots |
over |
Dolphins |
The Patriots can't get the #1 seed, but they certainly don't want to fall out of the #2 spot and lose their first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. That motivation is why the line on this game is massive. The Dolphins have played well in the second half of the season, but it'll end with a beatdown in Foxboro. |
| Buccaneers |
over |
Falcons |
The Falcons are still in play for a top-10 pick in the NFL draft despite their three-game winning streak; not that it matters to the players who are fighting to save Dan Quinn's job. They might have already accomplished that goal. And Winston might have already earned himself a contract extension with the Bucs, who quietly have become one of the NFL's trickiest teams to beat despite. Statistically, Tampa Bay is better than Atlanta in almost all areas. |
| Saints |
over |
Panthers |
With the Saints playing for seeding in the NFC playoffs and the Panthers barely even playing at this point of the season, this could get ugly. Even if Carolina was not lifeless amid a seven-game losing streak, this would be a bad matchup against a New Orleans team that will have no trouble running the ball and controlling the flow of the game. The Panthers also have no chance to stop the Drew Brees-Michael Thomas connection, and their young QB starter of choice will have a long day while playing in catch-up mode. |
| Cowboys |
over |
Redskins |
Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Co. should have no trouble getting back on track against the Redskins, and on the other side of the ball, the Cowboys' inconsistent defense does not face much of a threat. Dallas will take care of its business and hope for some help in New York. |
| Broncos |
over |
Raiders |
The Raiders still being alive in the NFL playoff picture as Week 17 arrives is one of the biggest shockers of the season considering how poorly they've played at times down the stretch. Yet here we are. Oakland obviously needs a win in Denver to reach the postseason, but it also needs a lot of help elsewhere. The Broncos, winners of three of their last four games, are playing well enough with Drew Lock as their starting QB to spoil their rivals' playoff-scenario fun. |
| Cardinals |
over |
Rams |
This game likely rides on whether Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray plays after tweaking his hamstring last week. With the rookie leading the charge, Arizona has shown flashes of what it hopes to be in the near future, the latest example coming from its upset win in Seattle. The Rams, now with no chance to get back to the playoffs after reaching the Super Bowl last season, seem to be trending in the opposite direction. |
| Giants |
over |
Eagles |
The Giants are healthier than they were two weeks ago when they took the Eagles to overtime in Philly. And the Eagles, of course, are still dealing with their own injury issues. A Philadelphia loss combined with a Dallas win would mark a heartbreaking end to the Eagles' season, but this year, it would be par for the course. |
| Colts |
over |
Jaguars |
With so many Week 17 games slotted in the late Sunday afternoon window, this game likely will be presented only to the Indianapolis and Jacksonville TV viewing markets. It's fair to wonder whether Colts fans and Jaguars fans even care to watch. |
| Steelers |
over |
Ravens |
Because Baltimore has the #1 seed clinched, it will rest its key starters against a Pittsburgh team that needs a win to stay alive in the wild-card race. But the results here also affect Tennessee, so this is a watchable game. |
| Texans |
over |
Titans |
Houston would love to help push their division rivals out of the playoff picture, and they technically still have a chance to move up to the No. 3 seed for the AFC playoffs. Assuming Deshaun Watson and Houston's other key starters are indeed in action, the Texans will have all the firepower they need to outscore the Titans. |
| Seahawks |
over |
49ers |
Upset special! It was a no-brainer to flex this game to Sunday night. And with the return of Beastmode, the hype has gone through the roof. San Fran's last four games have been by the narrowest of margins, either winning by FGs or losing in the last 2 seconds. So much is on the line (division title and playoff seeding), and if this wasn't in Seattle I'd give the 49ers the win. It just feel like chaos will be in the air for this game. |